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More Michiganders Are Paying More or Dropping Coverage Altogether
Washington, D.C. – The Trump Administration released an Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment snapshot Tuesday that shows 24,528 Michiganders are dropping coverage after health care tax credits were ended to help fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations
Earlier this month, 17 House Republicans supported a clean, three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits – the only viable pathway to reverse the premium hikes on over 21 million Americans. Now, it is up to Senate Republicans and Leader John Thune to decide whether they will lower costs and stand with the American people or continue blocking relief, make families pay the price, and stand with their billionaire donors.
In response, Protect Our Care Michigan Director Dianne Byrum issued a statement:
“Thanks to Republicans’ health care affordability crisis, Michigan families are being hit with higher premiums and forced to pay more for worse coverage — if they can keep their coverage at all. And they’re not just losing their insurance, they’re losing the ability to put food on the table, cover rent and afford basic necessities. This pain will only compound as even more people are priced out when they can’t keep up with the skyrocketing premiums.”
“Every day of delay is a deliberate choice to make this crisis worse. The solution is clear and already passed the House: a clean, three-year extension of the ACA tax credits. The only things standing in the way are Senate Republicans and Donald Trump. The responsibility now rests squarely with John Thune, who is taking his cues from Trump instead of helping working families. Thune can choose to end this crisis and lower costs for Americans or he can continue to block action, let premiums explode, and allow families to suffer.”
BACKGROUND
Enrollment declined by as much as 192,000 in states such as Georgia. Unless the Senate passes a clean, three-year extension of the ACA tax credits, the premium hikes will:
- Double or triple premiums for over 20 million hardworking Americans including small business owners, farmers and older adults.
- Rip health care away from over 4 million Americans to fund tax breaks for corporations like Big Pharma and billionaires.
- Force middle-class families to pay $300 billion more in health care costs while higher income individuals pocket nearly $1 trillion in tax breaks.
- Force one in three Americans buying health care on their own to reduce their coverage and pay thousands more each year in health care costs.
- Pressure countless families to cut back on food, clothing and other basics to afford health insurance and greater out-of-pocket costs.
- Cut $30 billion from hospitals and clinics at a time when over 600+ facilities across the country are already folding under the weight of t Medicaid cuts.
